FDA Approves First Non-Opioid Painkiller in 20 Years

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Journavx, a new non-opioid painkiller made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

The Details: Vertex has billed the drug as a non-addictive alternative to opioids. It works by intercepting pain signals before they reach the spinal cord, rather than acting in the brain, using the active ingredient suzetrigine. Wall Street analysts expect that Journavx could bring in about $100 million in sales this year at $31 per recommended starting dose. The FDA's news release is notable because the Trump administration last week instructed federal health agencies to pause all external communications, such as releases, social media posts and website updates. 

For Context: Vertex Pharmaceuticals said around 80 million Americans take medicine for moderate to severe acute pain each year, with 40 million prescribed opioids. Nearly 10% of those 40 million will go on to use opioids long-term and about 85,000 patients will develop an opioid addiction each year.

How The Media Covered It: While the Washington Times (Lean Right bias) noted the facts of the approval. The Washington Post (Lean Left) added skepticism to the noted opportunities of the drug, “Analysts say the real-world impacts — such as reducing how long patients stay in hospitals, or curbing opioid addiction — will become clear only after the drug’s launch.”